Good Enough
by Megami-Sama88
Summary: Tension runs high as Link and Zelda fight for a chance to be happy. Rated M for Lemon/Offensive Language
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Alright guys, after my short fic yesterday, I thought I might try making a Zelda fic that's a little longer. I want to apologize for any errors and typos in my fics as I don't have a pc... I've been writing everything on my android and the app sometimes doesn't cooperate with me lol.

The rain outside kept a steady rhythm on the roof of Link's house. Though he no longer lived in the Kokiri Forest, his new house kept the likeness of his forest home, and was well away from Hyrule Town. It was something he had insisted on upon returning from his dangerous adventure, when the King of Hyrule had offered him a house in the village. He suppossed he would always miss the forest that took care of him as a child, but things were different now and he could honeslty say he was happy. The slender, naked figure next to him stirred sleepily. He smiled fondly. She was more beautiful than anyone or anything he had ever seen. Her blond hair was so light and soft and smelled of flowers. He loved burying his face in her long tresses and just staying there. Her smooth, fair skin was like porcelain andand felt like silk to his fingers. She was like a goddess who walked the earth and she was his. His Zelda, his princess... his love. She opened her big blue eyes and yawned, stretching her arms. This action caused the blanket to slide down her slim torso, revealing her perfect breasts to him. He grinned. Chuckling, she pulled the covers up to her neck.

"What are _you_ looking at?" she murmured.

"You. Your boobs" Link replied lazily, falling back on the pillow, and pulling Zelda close.

"What time is it?" she asked, curling up against his chest.

"I don't know... a little past noon" Link replied, smelling her hair. "Does it matter?"

"Yes it matters! I can't be missed for long periods of time... my father would start asking awkward questions" Zelda answered, smiling a little.

And it was true. The King of Hyrule, though kind and wise, was very protective of his daughter, Link knew. And he couldn't blame him. His daughter had been in mortal danger thanks to one of the king's own advisers, Ganondorf. But that was over and done with. Still, the old king wanted Zelda to be safe, and constantly watched and followed. The only time she was able to escape for a few hours was when she donned her Sheik costume, like today.

"Let me talk to him. Let me make him see reason" Link said. In his voice there was a quiet anger. Zelda, sensing his rising temper, shook her head.

"You know we can't do that... my father would never understand" she said quietly.

"Because you won't even let me try!" Link said, clearly irritated. He pulled away from her, swinging his legs over the side of his bed. He began to dress jerkily. Zelda sighed. She could understand his frustration, and she wished she could make things better. But she remembered the last time she had tried to talk to her father about Link.

_"But father! It's been more than three years since the incident with Ganondorf! You can't keep people following me around wherever I go! I'm a sage, for Din's sake! I can take care of myself! Besides... I'm always with Link!" she had burst furiously. The king looked unimpressed. _

_"Link is a fine young man, to be sure, but he's not a knight of Hyrule. I fear he... can't protect you or treat you the way you deserve. There are plenty of eligible young men, young knights, here in the castle" the king had said calmly._

_"What?! He can't protect me?! He saved Hyrule! He saved me... he saved you, too!" She raged, storming up and down the throne room. She had been ready to tear her hair out. _

_"He is not a knight of Hyrule! He is wild and carefree and... he's not good enough!" The king roared. Zelda had gaped at him then. "Marry a Shiekah then... they are the chosen people to protect the royal family... to protect you" the king added. Zelda had shaken her head, unable to believe her ears._

_"Royalty be damned!" she had screeched, "I don't care about being a princess! I have done everything you ever asked of me! I accepted the destiny the goddesses chose for me... I never questioned it. I was prepared to lay my life down for Hyrule... for the world... as was Link... but now that it's all over... what about what I want?" Tears had started streaming down her cheeks._

_"I'm done talking about this, Zelda. I'm tired now" the king had said, and she understood herself to be dismissed. _

Slowly, she climbed out of bed and dressed herself as Sheik. It made her sad that she couldn't let Link speak to her father. But she was afraid that her father would tell him what he had told her. And Link would agree that he wasn't good enough for her and then leave because of it. She couldn't bear life without him. She peered through the window to make sure nobody would see her leave his house.

"Dammit, Zelda. I'm tired of you having to hide to come see me. I hate that I can't go see you myself. We meet in secret like we are criminals. What the fuck kind of relationship is that?" he snapped. He hadn't meant to curse, but the frustration building inside of him had him on edge lately. He wasn't some criminal. He hated having to see Zelda hiding and hurrying home like she was a fugitive. It wasn't fair to her. She deserved so much more. So much better. She was looking at him with a puzzled look on her pretty face. Link noticed the rain was pouring now.

"What do we do then?" she asked. Inside, her heart was pounding and she feared his answer.

Running a hand through his disheveled hair, he turned his back to her. "I think we need to stop seeing each other" he said. In that instant, her world broke. Moments later, he heard his door close and when he turned around, his princess was gone.

**A/N: **Ok, so there is the first chapter. Hope everyone enjoyed it... and now, what should happen to our couple? Should Link follow Zelda? Throw me some of your ideas, I'll see if I can incorporate them all into a fully functional chapter 2 :p Also, do you guys want more explicit lemon or just subtle hints at it? Maybe just lime?


	2. Chapter 2

Zelda ran as fast as she could, dodging trees and making sure nobody saw her. Chances of being seen were slim, however, as the rain was pouring non-stop, plus, as an unofficial member of the Sheikah tribe, she had learned various skills to avoid being detected. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was hurting, confused and incredulous. She had heard him clearly. He had broken her heart in that second when he told her they had to stop seeing each other. But still she refused to believe it. Surely he had spoken out of anger and frustration. They had been through so much together... it couldn't be hapening. By the time she reached Hyrule Castle, she was drenched, her cloak having provided little protection against the freezing rain. She sneaked into her room, bolted the door, and undressed. She could still smell him on her skin. She could feel his lips on her neck and her shoulders. It was as though her body clung to the memory of making love to him because it might be the last time. She pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle the sob that wanted to escape her lips. She should relax, she knew, but it was impossible. After a long while of standinfg naked against her door trying to calm down, she made her way to her bath. Turning on the hot water, she waited till the bath tub filled up before submerging herself completely, finally letting her tears fall and get lost in the water.

Link sat at the edge of his unmade bed, where moments ago, Zelda had been sleeping. He felt like a worthless scumbag. But he knew deep inside that he had made the right choice. What could he offer Zelda? Nothing. She was royalty, for Din's sake! And him? He wasn't even a knight. He was that orphaned kid who had lived in the forest. He wasn't exactly poor, as training aspiring knights and helping his good friend Malon and her father, Talon, provided enough money to live by, but nowhere near enough to keep up with the lifestyle a princess led. And didn't a princess deserve a boyfriend whom she could be seen with in public... a boyfriend she didn't have to sneak around to see? Her father hadn't exactly prohibited Link and Zelda from being friends, but if the townsfolk saw them together, their tongues would wag. Who knew what kind of stories would reach the king's ears. It would be only a matter of time. If the king knew exactly what he and Zelda did with their time alone... well, Link was sure his face would be in Wanted posters across Hyrule. He felt another pang of guilt. He had taken Zelda's innocence. She was no longer a virgin. _Spoiled goods_, as some crude men called women who were unmarried and no longer virgins. Goddesses above, he deserved to be whipped for doing that to her. He groaned and buried his face in his hands. Would she be able to find a worthy husband? Had he ruined her future? But the thought of Zelda being with another man set his blood boiling with jealousy. Shaking his head, he stood up. He should at least explain to her why they could not be together. He knew he had hurt her, and that wasn't they way he wanted things to end. Pulling on his green tunic, he stopped at the door and hesitated.

After a long, hot bath and crying her heart out, Zelda dressed in her silk pijamas. She didn't feel like doing anything, so she flopped down on her bed and pulled the covers over her head. She would wait. She knew Link wouldn't let things end like this. He would come looking for her, she was sure of it. He would make things better and it would be just a misunderstanding. And she would face her father. She would tell him she loved Link and nothing he would say would be able to change her feelings. If she had to run away with Link, then so be it. She didn't need anything. She rather spend her life with Link than live an empty life of grandeur. Smiling to herself, sure that Link would come looking for her soon, she fell asleep.

Link closed the door. He decided that this way was better. He needed Zelda to hate him, to forget him. She had to see that she was better off without a scumbag like him. He knew the real reason she wouldn't let him speak to her father, even if she never said it, he wasn't stupid. The king thought him unworthy of the princess, and Link agreed. And once she forgot about him, once she hated him, she would eventually agree too. Laying down on his bed, Link hugged the pillow where Zelda's head rested. It smelled like her still. Closing his eyes, releshing the smell of his princess, he drifted off to sleep.

**A/N: **_Alright guys! There's the second chapter... hope you all liked it. Tell me what you think and how you think the story should continue. I wrote this while the song Soundscape to Ardor from the Bleach soundtrack was playing in the background so it made me sad :( I think you guys should listen to the song too lol. Please review? _


	3. Chapter 3

Princess Zelda woke up to a light knock on her door. A quick glance out the window told her the sun had set. Link hadn't come after all. She didn't move from her bed. She felt the pain of her heartbreak so strongly it was threatening to overwhelm her.

"Your highness, it is I, Impa. I come with your supper" the voice outside her door said. Zelda wanted to tell her precious nanny Impa to leave her be, but knew she couldn't do that. Impa was a sharp woman, and would know something was wrong. Struggling to get up off the bed, Zelda lit the candle next to her bed before she opened the door to her room. Impa came in carrying a silver tray laden with food and placed it on the princess' beautiful oak wood desk. It looked delicious, and even though she had not eaten since breakfast (which, she remembered bitterly, had been immediately followed by a bout of hot love making with Link, that jerk!) she was not hungry. Nevertheless, she sat down at her desk and took a bite of the warm bread as Impa lit the torches in the sconces in her room. Even so, Zelda could feel Impa was studying her intently, which made her want to squirm in her seat.

"You've been crying" said her nanny simply. Zelda almost choked on her bread.

"What?" she gasped, shaking her head, "No I haven't... I just woke up, that's all!"

"It was Link, wasn't it?" Impa said, completely ignoring the princess' lie.

"What? I don't know what your talking about... it wasn't Link... I haven't even seen him in a long time" the princess replied, carefully avoiding the Sheikah's eyes.

"What did he do to you?" Impa asked.

"Impa! It wasn't him! Nothing is wrong... I wasn't crying!" Zelda huffed.

Impa smiled and sat on Zelda's bed, crossing her arms.

"Zelda, dear... when you sneak out of the castle... you might go undetected by the castle guards but please... it's me you're talking to. I raised you as a Sheikah. I know our ways better than anyone. You cannot fool me" she said calmly. Zelda, who had been looking at Impa with her mouth open, spoon halfway to her lips, didn't notice she was dripping soup on her clothes.

"Impa... don't tell father... I beg of you!" she said finally. "I don't mean to sneak out, it's just that father doesn't want me to be involved romantically with Link... please don't tell!"

"Child, had I wanted to put an end to your romantic adventures, I would have told his highness a long time ago. Alas, I too was young and in love once... a very long time ago, believe it or not" Impa said.

"Really? And what happened? " Zelda asked. It was strange to think of this fierce woman as a romantic, and she was genuinely interested. Truth was, Zelda knew very little of Impa's life, for Impa's duty and main focus had always been protecting the royal family. Or to be more precise, protecting the princess.

"Oh yes. When I was eighteen years old, I married my partner. We lived happily for 5 years. That's when the Hyrule Civil War was at its worst and, being part of the Sheikah tribe, he had a duty to the royal family. He was part of an elite Sheikah group sent here to Hyrule Castle to protect the king and queen during this war. Of course you know all about the war. Anyway, three years later, you were born, and I was sent here to be your guardian nanny," Impa said, a far away look in her eyes, "and, 2 years after that, my husband was killed in battle" she continued. At this point, Zelda pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Oh Impa, I'm so sorry" she said quietly. Then a thought occured to her. "This was the war Link's mother died in, too. That's why he lived in Kokiri Forest... how awful..." she trailed off.

"So I know a young person in love when I see one. Tell me how Link has hurt you" Impa said, not forgetting Zelda's pained look from earlier.

The princess sighed.

"I dont know, Impa. I just don't know. I guess he feels like he's being noble. He says I deserve better than him. And because I won't let him speak with father... he just gets so frustrated. I can't blame him" she explained to her nanny.

"So he broke up with you?" Impa asked gently, standing up and walking over to Zelda. At that moment the princess broke down.

"Yes!" she sobbed. "He said we shouldn't see each other any...more! I thought he would come looking for me but... he didn't. He didn't co... come" she stammerd between sobs. Impa closed her arms around the young princess and stroked her hair and began to hum her lullaby. It always calmed the princess down, and today was no different.

"Thank you Impa. You always make me feel better" she said, managing a small, watery smile.

"So," Impa said seriously, "this young man thinks he can break your heart, does he? We just have to teach him a lesson".

Zelda looked at Impa questioningly. "Surely you do not intend to hurt him?" she asked a little alarmed. Impa grinned.

"No. At least, not physically. But I have an idea" the Sheikah replied.

"What do you have in mind?" Zelda asked her nanny. She couldn't help but be curious.

"As you very well know, your father has been wanting to organize a Presentation Ball for you. Normally it would have been your coming of age ball, but seeing as there was that incident with Ganondorf, it was skipped altogether. This ball, however, will be your official presentation, not only to Hyrule, but to the neighboring kingdoms, as an eligible princess for marriage" Impa explained. Zelda looked horror struck.

"Impa! I don't want to get married!" she cried, covering her face. And she just _couldn't_ get married. She couldn't, in good concience, wear a virginal white wedding dress when she was no longer a virgin. And the shame! What would her new husband think of her when he found out on their wedding night that she had already known another man? She wished the earth would swallow her up. Damn Link! Damn him! Damn him because oh how she loved him.

"Don't fret child. This ball isn't meant for you to decide on a husband that very night. It is for you to meet eligible bachelors, and for them to meet you. If you find that one of the young men is to your liking, then he may begin to court you. Marriage takes time" Impa reassured her. And that was all well and good but Zelda didn't know how Link would come into the picture. As if reading her mind, Impa answered her question.

"Link, though not an official knight of Hyrule, still has good standing with the kingdom. He is among our honored guests, along with King Zora and Princess Ruto and the rest of the sages. So, he will be invited to the ball too. And he will come, my child. He will be so riddled with jealousy he will come. If only to see what kind of men will be vying for your attention. I'll renounce the Shiekah name if I'm wrong" the guardian nanny said with a wink.

**A/N: **Alright guys. I'm sorry I didn't upload a chapter yesterday, but I was busy all day, what with it being holiday season and all. I'll go ahead and upload two today. I leave you with this one :) please review!


	4. Chapter 4

The next day Zelda woke up at the crack of dawn in a slightly better mood. There was much to be done to prepare for the upcoming festivities. Admittedly she wasn't too thrilled with her Presentation Ball, because having men competing for her attention was just tidious. But, if it meant she could see Link again, then she would go through with it. After her bath, two maids came in to help her dress and the princess set out to search for Impa.

"I believe she is speaking with the King, m'lady" the younger of the two maids said shyly and turned pink when Zelda smiled at her. She hurried along the corridor and made her way to her father's study as fast as she could. Sure enough, she could hear her father and Impa talking about the ball.

"Yes, your highness, I will personally send the invitations to our honored guests. The servants are already making the neccessary preparations for the guests' rooms and the upcoming ball" Impa was saying as Zelda stood outside, eavesdropping. Rooms? What was going on? Where the guests going to be staying in the castle? Her heart did a tiny flip at the thought of Link being so close to her.

"Father?" she said, opening the door and peering into the grand room. The king motioned for her to come inside.

"Ah, Zelda," he grinned, "just the princess I wanted to see. I am glad, daughter of mine, that you finally decided to have your Presentation Ball. It gives me great pleasure to announce it to the kingdom this evening. As we speak, the castle is getting everything ready".

"I take my leave, your highness, thank you" Impa said, and left the room.

"Father, are the guests going to stay here?" Zelda asked casually, sitting on the chair opposite her father's desk.

"But of course. It will be just like the time we were invited to Lady Athina's Coming of Age ball last year, remember?" her father explained.

She remembered, alright. It had been kind of fun, possibly because Link had been with her then. They had spent two weeks at Lady Athina's palace, far out west, past Gerudo Valley. The days had been planned with activities and entertainment. Then on the evening of the ball, Lady Athina had announced her husband to be. Zelda's pulse quickened. Did that mean she would have to choose by then too? Surely she could make it difficult for the men to win her hand by adding challenges? She could weed out anyone who wasn't Link... but she stopped short. Link wasn't a prince. He wouldn't be involved in the festivities as a suitor, but as a normal guest. Moreover, would Link even want to compete for her hand? She just didn't know.

"Very well, father, I understand. I agree to your Presentation Ball, so long as I can add a little something. Something different. There will be three challenges over the next two weeks. Once we confirm the guest list, I will tell you what they are" she said firmly. She would not take no for an answer.

The grinned. "Of course! Not just anyone can have the hand of my beautiful daughter. These challenges will definitely bring something different to the table. What will they involve?" the king asked happily.

Zelda stood up and walked to the door.

"I have to know the guest list first, to be sure, but... probably swords... archery... horseback riding..." she answered, before leaving the room.

The evening was chilly, and Link, having finished feeding and grooming Epona, was making his way to his house when he noticed a royal carriage approaching. His immediate thought was Zelda... but he knew it couldn't be her. She would never ride in one of those things if she could help it. Sure enough, the person who came out of the carriage wasn't Zelda, but her nanny, Impa. Link raised his eyebrows. What could the Sheikah be doing here? His question was answered when she pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. It had the King's seal, so it was official. He wondered what it could be as he tore it open. Quickly, he scanned the paper with his eyes. An invitation. And not just any invitation. He was invited, as a _guest of honor,_ to attend Princess Zelda's Presentation Ball. So her royal highness was looking for a husband, eh? That was fine with him. He felt his stomach clench at the thought, but he had no right to be jealous. Hadn't he been the one to send Zelda away anyway? Why should he care? This was the perfect time for her to find someone worthy of her. He noticed Impa was watching him so he cleared his throat.

"Yeah, alright. I'll try to make it" he said calmly, folding the invitation.

"You will come" Impa said. She didn't give him a chance to reply as she climbed into the carriage and continued her way.

"That Impa... who does she think she is? If I decide to go, I'll go. If I don't, I won't. It's not like I want to see what kind of men will be after_ her highness_ anyway" he muttered to himself and slamming his door shoot. He didn't. And this gut wrenching feeling in the pit of his stomach was just... hunger. That's right. He would make himself dinner and he would feel better. He had to.

The next morning, Zelda woke up to her father's booming voice. He was bellowing something about Zelda needing to wake up as the first guests would be arriving soon. Bolting out of bed, she threw her door open. The king grinned at her.

"About time! Get dressed, Zelda, the first guests on the list will be arriving shortly. We can't be sleeping till noon, what kind of hosts would we be? By the way, did you come up with those challenges? The suitors seemed very intrigued" he father said animatedly. Zelda smiled wanly.

"Yes father. I will announce it during this evening's supper. Let me get dressed now" she said to him, and closed the door. She wondered if Link would be among the first to arrive... if he even came at all.

The first guests to arrive, however, were from Lady Athina's kingdom. She came with her husband, Lord Naroh, and her brother, Lord Daphnes. The latter took Zelda's small hand and kissed it gently.

"M'lady," he said, looking deep into her eyes, " the last time you were at our palace, I was away, so I missed you. I heard rumors of your beauty, but I must say you are even more beautiful than I imagined". Zelda curtsied and smiled.

"Thank you for the kind words, m'lord, and welcome. I hope you all enjoy your stay" she said, hugging Lady Athina and kissing her cheek.

Princess Zelda spent the rest of her day greeting her guests and meeting her suitors. Lord Leoni and his family came from the kingdom over Death Mountain. Lord Calatia and his people came from far across Lake Hylia. And Lord Anurhem and his family came from way past the Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest. Darunia and his son, Link (named after_ her_ Link) and a few others came, followed by King Zora, Princess Ruto and other zoras. Nabooru and Aveil, along with the other Gerudo also came to her castle. Only a few more guests were missing... among them, Link. She was so nervous and anxious, she couldn't help wringing her hands.

"He'll be here" Impa said next to her, startling the princess.

"I hope you're right" she said quietly. But even after the last guest had arrived, Link had not. Zelda was about to give up hope, when she heard a horse's hooves. Moments later, Epona came into view and Zelda almost keeled over with relief and excitement. He had come after all!

"Looks like young Master Link was able to make it after all" the king said jovially. Of course, the king didn't know she and Link had had a secret relationship, for she knew that if he did, he wouldn't be at all happy to see Link. She watched him dismount his horse, and thought how handsome he was. Today, he wasn't wearing his green tunic.

"Your Grace" Link said politely, shaking the king's hand firmly. He turned to Zelda and she felt his deep blue eyes pierce her heart. They were cold, despite hos smile. He took her hand and kissed it. "M'lady" he said coldly. She curtsied, but her heart was racing. Maybe having him here wasn't such a good idea after all.

**A/N:** Ok guys, so the guests are all there now... what's gonna happen when all of Zelda's suitors meet? What will Link do? What is Zelda gonna do? Please review and let me know your thoughts!


	5. Chapter 5

"I would like to thank everyone for being here. As you know, a young maiden's Presentation Ball is a important not only to the maiden in questions, but to her suitors and their respective families. From this celebration, it may be that two of our kingdoms will be joined by holy matrimony. Please, my brothers and sisters, make yourselves at home. I hope everyone enjoys their stay" the King of Hyrule said before the feast. Zelda smiled at him and when he sat down, everyone began to eat. The princess was only "I would like to thank everoing on, however. She could hear her father and the other Kings talking. The ladies and their daughters were giggling and possibly catching up on gossip. But she didn't pay attention to any of it. She was stealing glances at Link, sho sas seated far from her (was it her father's idea?) and talking to Aveil. Zelda felt a pang of jealousy. She watched furiously as Link leaned in to whisper something in Aveil's ear, making her giggle and blush. That jerk.

"You alright, your grace?" someone asked her. Startled, she turned to see who it was. Lord Leoni. She cleared her throat and smiled, momentarily caught in his green eyes.

"Everything is grand, m'lord" she lied. He grinned, his eyes all too knowing.

"Good," he said, " because a face as beautiful as yours should never look murderous". Zelda gaped at him. The nerve! She hadn't been that obvious... had she? Lord Leoni burst out laughing.

"Don't worry so much, m'lady" he said, kissing her hand. Zelda pressed her lips together tightly. She didn't know what to think about this Lord yet, so she would give him the benefit of the doubt. Sure, he was handsome. His black hair was messy, and his green eyes full of laughter. He was tall and lean and he definitely looked sharp. But he wasn't Link, so immediately she found him lacking. She knew it was unfair to her suitors, but she couldn't help it.

After dinner, Zelda stood up and called for everyone's attention. She felt awkward, but it was only because Link was looking at her, his eyes boring into her soul.

"I trust the food was to everyone's liking" she began, looking at everyone and smiling. "But, before we retire, I have a few things to say. As I am sure my father told you, this Presentation Ball will include 3 challenges over the course of the two weeks of your stay. These challenges will include duels, to test each suitor's swordmanship. Archery... and horseback riding. The challenges will be announced on the very morning the challenge is to take place, to make it fair for everyone. But for now, let us retire to our warm beds, as I am sure everyone is tired after such long trips. I bid everyone good night" Zelda said, and everyone began to make their way to their rooms. Each prince took her hand, kissed it gently, and bid Zelda goodnight. After all the guests had left the grand dining room, she made her way to her own room. The corrider was a bit dark, as most of the sconces were off for the night, but there was still enough light. Enough to see there was someone at her door. Instictively, her hand flew to the hilt of her sword. But there was something familiar about that body... that stance. She approached him slowly, her heart doing overdrive.

"Busy night, princess?" he asked nonchalantly. She crossed her arms.

"Wasn't it?" she asked him coldly. She had not forgotten the earlier incident with Aveil. Link got close to her... too close to her. In an attempt to calm herself, she turned her back to him and opened the door to her room. "How did you get past the guards anyway?" she snapped. Link burst out laughing.

"C'mon princess, it's me, remember? Or did you forget about me already?" he asked, his lips mere inches from her neck. Feeling his warm breath on her skin set her body tingling. She closed the door to her room, pulling Link inside too. She couldn't risk the both of them being seen.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"Did you really forget me?" he asked seriously, looking into her eyes. The room was dark, save the candle on her night stand. It cast shadows across his handsome face. He looked intimidating, but she knew he'd never hurt her. Not physically anyways. And she knew her answer was as important to him as it was to her.

"You're the one who told me we should stop seeing each other" she said quietly, a huge knot in her throat threatning to choke her.

"You didn't answer my question" he said, ignoring her previous statement.

"No, Link, I—" but that's as far as she got. Link grabbed the back of her head and pulled her close, crushing her lips with his. Her arms snaked around his neck as she let him kiss her.

"I want you" he said, breaking the kiss.

"So take me" she breathed. Link shook his head.

"I can't do that princess..." he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't even be here. I hope you find a good husband". With that, he opened her window and climbed out, disappearing into the night. Zelda was frozen in place, feeling bereft. Slowly, hot tears started streaming down her cheeks.

Link cursed himself. He knew it had been a bad idea to go see her, but he hadn't been able to help himself. He quickly jumped off onto the ledge and sidled his way to his own room. He would have to keep his distance from now on, because he had been so close to ravashing Zelda it took all his strength to pull away. He could no longer have her. He had no right. Once inside his room, lying on his bed, he thought it would be a good idea to help her get over him quickly. Tomorrow, he would set his plan in motion. There were a lot of willing ladies at the castle, judging by the way they had been throwing themselves at him, giving him inviting looks. Still, even as he fought hard to change the direction of his thoughts, he ended up dreaming of a naked Zelda.

The next day, after breakfast, the old lords followed her father to his study, the older ladies went to the gardens to gossip over tea, and the young ones were left alone to go out to town and visit the shoppes. Zelda scanned the area and found Link, talking animatedly with Princess Ruto, the latter who was all smiles and sultry looks. Zelda looked away, forcing herself to ignore them.

"Princess Zelda... may I have the honor of being your partner for the day?" Lord Calatia asked shyly, offering his arm. She smiled at the young prince. His sandy hair and brown eyes gave him an innocent look that was endearing to her. Putting her hand on his arm, she agreed. He was not much taller than her. She hoped Link would be jealous, but a quick glance behind her showed a very carefree Link surrounded by several of the lady guests, including the very beautiful Nabooru. So Link thought he was a charmer, eh? Two could play that game, she thought darkly.

All day she laughed and tried her hardest to have a good time, joking and being silly with her guests. She gave her undivided attention to each prince and she completely ignored Link. If any of this affected him, however, he didn't show it. Lord Calatia bid her slow down, as they made their way back to the castle. Soon, they fell behind the group.

"What is it, m'lord?" Zelda asked. She didn't like that they were falling so far behind... people might get ideas.

"Forgive me your highness, but I seem to have something in my shoe... would you help me?" he said, leaning against a tree. Zelda raised her eyebrows, but decided to help him. As soon as she got close, however, Lord Calatia lost his balance and stumbled, making her lose her balance too. They fell back and Lord Calatia's hand was on her breast, and she wasn't sure wether he was groping her on purpose or because of the confusion. Either way, she wanted him off her _now_. As if on queue, somebody lifted Calatia off her.

"Perhaps next time, young sir, you should be more careful" Link the Goron said good naturedly. Zelda felt releif that someone had come back for her.

"Right, sorry" Calatia said angrily before storming off.

"Thank you so much Link" she said to the young Goron, "how did you know?"

"Link said I should come check on you" the young Goron said smiling. She thanked her rocky friend and they made their way back to the group.

So he _had _noticed after all. Still, she wasn't quite sure what to make of the incident. Lord Calatia didn't seem to be a bad person, but perhaps she should keep her guard up, just in case.

**A/N: **So, the story is gonna kick off from here, as the lords compete for Zelda and the Ladies fight over Link... There will be lemon soon, I promise lol. Please review! And for those that already did, and still do, I thank you so much. It's because of your positive feed back that I continue to write. xoxo


	6. Chapter 6

Link had a bad feeling about that baby-faced Calatia. It was just a feeling he had, and he didn't like it one bit. Of course he had noticed how he had managed to seperate himself and Zelda from the group. That son of a bitch. Zelda was capable of handling herself, but Link couldn't bear the thought of some sleeze ball trying anything with her.

"Why the long face?" Aveil asked in his ear. Link looked down at her and smiled.

"No long face here, beautiful. How could I, when I have you for company" he said with his most charming smile. Aveil gave him an inviting look, before linking her arm with his. She smirked when she noticed Princess Ruto glaring at her. Behind them, Zelda wanted to choke someone. Instead, she opted for a more peaceful route. She accepted Lord Leoni's arm when he offered it.

"M'lady, " he said, " you look even more beautiful today. I feel my heart starting to surrender at your feet". Zelda blushed prettily and he grinned, covering her hand with his.

"If we were not surrounded by these delightful guests, I would be so bold as to ask you for a kiss" he said, piercing her with his magnificent green eyes.

"M'lord... that is uh..." Zelda began, feeling nervous.

"Too foward? I think an intelligent woman like yourself appreciates an honest man, rather than a man who spouts empty sweet words" Lord Leoni said, still grinning.

"Well, yes, but..." Zelda began again, but Leoni only laughed.

"Don't worry, my lady, your lips are safe with me" he said.

Behind them, Link had been listening to their conversation and he wanted to murder that prince. How dare he be so foward with Zelda? He would have gladly beaten the shit out of him, if he could. Shaking his head, he remembered this was the whole point of this ball, after all. The princes came to try and woo the princess in order to win her hand in marriage, right? And hadn't he been the one to end their relationship? He really had to control his jealousy. This was about Zelda's future. He had no say in it any longer. So in order to control himself, he gave Aveil his undivided attention.

That evening after dinner, as the guests mingled, talking and laughing, Zelda made her way out to the balcony. It was nice to get away from everyone for a bit. The night was chilly, and thd breeze made it even more so, but she had not thought to bring her coat with her. She hugged herself, rubbing her arms as she looked at the sky.

"Is something wrong, m'lady?" someone said behind her, drapping a large, warm cloak around her shoulders. It was Lord Anurhem.

"My lord," Zelda said smiling, "everything is fine, thank you". She hadn't been able to spend any time with this prince, and if truth be told she hadn't even bothered to look at him properly. Her mind had been all Link. But looking at him now, she saw that he was tall, her head barely reached his shoulder (just like Link, she thought, and then chastised herself). Easily he was the most handsome of her suitors. His eyes were light grey... so light, in fact, they were almost silver. His hair was jet black and longish, reaching his chin in messy tresses. And when he smiled at her, it made her blush.

"I didn't have a chance to properly introduce myself, your grace, as it seemed you were most busy yesterday" he said in his deep, soothing voice.

"I do apologize, m'lord, how very rude of me" Zelda replied.

He shook his head and and smiled.

"No, m'lady, I do not blame you. It is only natural that those of us who wish to win your hand will have to really compete for your time. I cannot blame the other men for fighting for your attention. Your beauty is unmatched by anyone I have ever met" he said.

There was something very comforting about this man's presence. She felt oddly at ease and comfortable with him.

"Why, thank you Lord Anurhem, for that compliment" she said.

"I only speak truth" Anurhem said, looking up at the sky. "The stars are very bright tonight. In my kingdom, the Wise Witch says that when the stars are this bright, it means something will happen... do you believe in that, princess?" he asked, still looking at the sky.

Zelda was watching the stars too. As a sage, she had the ability to see prophecies in her dreams, so she did not discard the idea.

"I do not shun the idea that stars and other natural elements give us an indication of things to come. I am sure the Wise Witch earned her name for a reason, no?" she answered carefully.

"Quite right. Before we left my kingdom, she said I would find a woman who would change my life during this trip. I wonder how accurate her prediction will be" he said, turning to look at Zelda. She blushed, not knowing what to say.

"Perhaps we should go back inside? I would not like you to catch a cold. Besides, it looks like the guests are heading to bed" he said, and together, they went back inside. To Zelda's horror, they bumped into Link who only raised one eyebrow at her before being swept away by Aveil. Well... it was alright, wasn't it? She had done absolutely nothing wrong. Besides, he had Aveil for company.

"M'lady, I bid you good night. I hope you rest well" Lord Anurhem said, kissing her hand. She smiled and bid him good night, but she was distracted. She was aware that a few feet away, Aveil was giving Link the most inviting and lustful looks she had ever witnessed. And what was more, Link seemed to be delighted. With a heavy heart, Zelda made her way to her room, unaware that someone was following her through the shadows.

**A:N: **Guys, I'm sorry I didn't upload a chappy in the last few days, but I was super busy. Small roadtrip, last minute Christmas shopping and redecorating our Christmas Tree (thanks to my cats -.- lol) had me a busy bee. Christmas is just a couple of days away though, so I'll probably be able to upload 1 or 2 more chappies before I disappear for family time. I promise I'll make them good... now someone or something is followng Zelda... what or who could it be? Is she in danger?


	7. Chapter 7

Once inside her own room, Zelda took her shoes offq. The first challenge would take place tomorrow, she had decided already. Only thing left to do now was decide exactly what the challenge would be. Of course she had chosen the challenges according to Link and his skills. How silly of her. She had agreed to the ball so that Link would be jealous and want her back but instead, he was having a good time with Aveil. Zelda plopped down on her bed, not bothering to remove her dress. Hot tears slid down her cheeks. Had Link forgotten her so fast? Or maybe he had stopped caring long before he broke up with her? That made her feel worse than ever. She rolled over and hugged her pillow when suddenly there was a noise outside of her window. More curious than frightened, she climbed out of bed and, barefoot, walked across the cold, marble floor and peered out the window. The sky was still clear, the night air chilly, but no sign of anything out of order out on the castle grounds. Shaking her head and sure that she had imagined whatever noise she had heard, she walked quickly back to bed. There it was again. That noise similar to clawing and rustling only this time it was closer somehow. What on earth was it? Was it outside or inside? At that thought, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Thoughts of Ganondorf coming back somehow filled her head and she quickly grabbed her sword which she always had next to her bed. Unsheathing her blade, she walked over to her window again. But again, there was nothing. Slowly, she turned around, sword drawn. If nothing was outside, then maybe whatever it was could have came in to her room. Heart pounding, she took a few tentative steps foward. She wished she had left the sconces lit but right now her room was pitch black, save the little light the silvery moon provided through her window. Was it her imagination or had she seen a shadow move in the darkness? Terrified, she prepared to summon her bow and light arrows but then there was a tremendous crash behind her. She screamed and wheeled around, lifting her sword high above her head, ready to kill whoever came crashing into her room. With a swift swing, she brought the sword down but her strike was blocked.

"Calm down princess, there's no need to kill me" he said calmly. Her legs became wobbly as relief washed over her.

"Link," she said weakly, "what are you doing here? You scared me half to death".

She heard footsteps and put her finger to her mouth.

They banged on her door and thundered "Princess! Are you alright?!" It was the guards.

"I... I'm fine... I just... I saw a mouse" she lied cringing at her own feeble attempt.

"Are... are you sure?" one guard insisted. Clearly they hadn't forgotten that even as a child, she was a tomboy. A mouse was nothing.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure. I'm tired, you must let me rest now" she snapped, trying to change tactics. She hardly ever gave direct orders, so she hoped her attitude would make them go away. It worked.

"Ok, your grace, we apologize. Good night"

Zelda and Link remained still and silent until their footsteps faded.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just had to see you" he said, getting up from the floor and sheathing his own sword. He made himself right at home, lighting the small candle next to her bed and ignoring her bewildered expression. She put away her own sword and crossed her arms.

"How can I help you?" she asked, trying hard to be cold.

"I wanted to see you" he repeated.

"Was it you making so much noise just now? I thought I heard something strange" she said staring out the window.

"What kind of noise? It might have been me. I used my clawshot to get up here. But now that you mention it, I did see a strange shadow as I was making my way up. I would have been here sooner but I went to check it out. I found nothing" Link replied.

Zelda became aware that Link was very close to her. In fact, she could feel his warmth now and it made her realize she was freezing. Her feet we becoming numb. Insinctively she shivered.

"Ah, Zelda, you goose. It's cold in here and you're barefoot. Come" Link said and before she could protest, he took her in his arms and carried her to the bed. Taking one small foot in his hand, he began to rub it. A dismayed Zelda tried to pull her foot away.

"So... Aveil didn't want you tonight?" she asked acidly, trying to make him let go of her. Who cared if it felt good to have him massage her feet? He had been all smiles with that Gerudo theif, no? But Link only looked up at her and smiled.

"Oh, she wanted me, alright. It took a lot to escape from her" Link answered. His hand traveled up her calf now. It felt so good. She didn't want him to stop. "Of course, if you rather I go to her, I will" he added, and made to stand up.

"You can do whatever you want" she huffed.

"Is that right?" Link asked and something in his voice made her look at him. He was looking at her and smiling. With a swift movement he pushed her dress up to her thighs, making her squeal.

"Link! What are you doing?!" she yelped as his hands traveled up and down her legs.

"I believe," he said, "you told me to do whatever I want. That's what I'm doing". He kissed her ankle and was slowly kissing his way up her leg. She didn't know what to do. She wanted him to stop and keep going, even as she tried to pull away. Then he was kissing the inside of her thighs and she was no longer struggling so hard. He pulled her underwear down past her knees and then off completely, pushing her dress up to her abdomen. He found her sensitive spot with his mouth and she almost jumped out of her skin. She was lost. Burying her hands in his messy blond hair, she held his head in place between her legs as he kissed and licked her most sensitive flesh. A small moan escaped her lips as Link continued his assault on her delicate, little lifted her hips, wanting more of him, and when his fingers started helping his mouth, she bit down on her lip to keep from being loud. And then he stopped. She whimpered, but he grabbed her by the waist and turned her over on her stomach. Moving her long, silky hair out of the way, he began to unzip her dress. Slowly he removed all her clothes until she was completely naked. She watched him undress and closed her eyes when he started kissing the back of her neck, then her shoulder blades. He kissed his way down to the small of her back. She gasped when he kissed her derrière.

"I missed this. I missed the feel of you" he said huskily.

"Link... I need you now" she whimpered. Thankfully, Link was as ready as she was. He spread her thighs apart with his knees and positioned himself at her entrance. Slowly he entered her. She moaned and hid her face in her pillow as Link began to move inside her. He made love to her fast and hard, both of them lost in the intense heat of the moment, amid moans and heavy breathing.

"Do you still want me to go?" Link teased, as he kissed her shoulders.

"Shut up. Shut up and keep going" Zelda moaned. She pushed him off and stradled him, leaning down to kiss his lips. She began to move herself over him as he squeezed her breasts and toyed with her nipples. They continued to make love to each other for a long time, savoring the moment.

Neither of them noticed the shadowy figure that escaped through Zelda's open window.

**A/N: **Alright guys, I promised you lemon, I delivered your lemon :p. I think that sexy scenes are difficult to write (at least for me) because I'm never sure what kind of language my readers are comfortable with. And it has to keep within the tone of the story as well. I didn't want to write lemon with a whole bunch of very (mature? Vulgar? Obscene?) words in a story that isn't following the same vein, does that make sense? Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and I probably won't upload the next one till after Christmas. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas... have fun, behave and be safe! Happy Holidays! xoxo


	8. Chapter 8

Zelda kissed Link's lips as he slept. He looked so beautiful, his firm body a feast to her eyes. Remembering the things he had done to her the night before... the things she had done to him... made her blush. She didn't know how this was going to end up or how much this changed their situation, but she didn't care as long as she still had him. The sun had not risen yet, it was bearly casting a rosy glow on the horizon. She climbed out of bed and slipped his tunic on, slidding his big boots over her small feet. She quickly lit the fire in the fireplace and hugged herself, smiling. She let her mind wander, day dreaming about how life would be waking up next to her hero every day. As her room warmed up, she started to fill her bathtub with hot water.

Link woke up in a comfortable, warm bed. Memories of the night before made him smile sleepily. So he was in his princess' bed, huh? He could hear running water and assumed Zelda was taking a bath. Stretching and yawning, he climbed out of bed. The fire was lit, and the room was warm so he didn't bother dressing himself. He made his way to where Zelda was. She had his back turned to him, and, leaning against the door frame, he watched her pull his tunic off. Good goddesses above, she was beautiful. Unable to help himself, he walked up behind her and slid his arms around her petite frame, cupping her breasts. She gasped at his touch, he knew his fingers were cool on her warm skin. Then she leaned back against his chest.

"Good morning" she murmured. Link buried his face against her neck and slid his hand down her smooth belly.

"Good morning" he said, slipping his hand between her legs. She groaned and let him touch her. She was so soft and warm. He loved having her in his arms. She turned her face to him and he kissed her lips. Immediately she opened her mouth to allow him free access, which he took advantage of. Her small, delicate hand reached behind her and found his hard member pressing against her lower back. He groaned as she took him in her hand and began stroking him, as he touched her too. Unable to take it anymore, he bent the princess over the wash basin and entered her swiftly. He held on to her hips and watched her face in the mirror as he thrust into her. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted. She was gripping the edges of the basin tightly, breathing heavily. He snaked a hand up to her pert breast and squeezed it, thrusting in and out. She matched his rhythm perfectly. She felt her inner muscles tighten, and he knew she was close. He was too.

"More..." she breathed. Link was more than happy to comply. He thrust in slowly, going as deep as he could. In that moment, Zelda convulsed in pleasure, a loud moan passing through her pretty lips. Her muscles spasmed around him and that sent him over the edge too. Sweaty and panting, he didn't dare move for fear that his legs might not support him after such intense climax. But Zelda grabbed his hand and led him to the bathtub. She climbed in and he climbed in after her. He had barely began washing her back when there was a knock at the door. They both froze.

"Who is it?" Zelda called out. She pressed a hand to Link's mouth.

"Impa, your grace. You said for me to wake you at the crack of dawn to help you with the first challenge preparations" the Sheikah said.

"Oh, right... give me a few minutes please, I'm taking a bath" Zelda said, as she climbed out of the tub. "You have to go" she said to Link. Link quickly dressed himself and ran to the window, hating their situation.

"Zelda I..." he said, looking at the princess. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Yes?" she asked, holding her breath. But Link shook his head and jumped out the window. Zelda sighed sadly and finished her bath, feeling more alone than ever.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Today marks the start of the three challenges. All of my daughter's suitors please come foward" the King of Hyrule said in a booming voice. They were outside, past the castle's gardens, in Hyrule field. The town folk had been allowed to watch the challenges too, and they had set up a canopy under which Zelda, the King, Impa and the royal families sat under. Zelda shifted in her seat uncomfortably as one by one, her suitors stepped foward. First Lord Daphnes. The Lord Calatia, followed by Lord Leoni. Last, it was Lord Anurhem. Zelda swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Very well! Now that all of the suitors are here—" the king began, but he was interrupted.

"No. Not all of them. Your grace, I too would like to compete for Princess Zelda's hand" someone said from between the guest. Zelda almost under which Zelda, the King, Impa and the royal families sat under. Zelda shifted in her seat uncomfortablr wore any fancy clothing. But to her, he looked the most dashing in his green tunic. The King was speechless.

"You? But Link, m'boy, you are not of royal family" the king said.

"No, sir, I am not. But I love Zelda" Link said, looking at the princess, whose eyes were brimming with tears.

"You fool! How dare you speak her name with such familiarity" snarled Lord Daphnes, making to draw his sword.

"I accept! I accept the addition of the new challenger" Zelda said before her father could say anything else. She stood and addressed everyone. There was general whispering and murmurs among the guests and the crowd, and she was well aware some of the Lords were angry at Link's admission to the challenges, but she did not care.

"The first challenge will be a horse race. It will start here, in Hyrule field and it will end in Gerudo Valley. The path is full of obstacles the challengers will have to pass through to get to the finishing point. May the best rider win" she said. The King looked at is daughter but said nothing. Impa produced a giant orb that floated above the crowed, and allowed them to see the race throughout the entire path. The challengers were getting ready, and Zelda heard Link use his ocarina to call Epona. Impa held her hand.

"We must go to the finishing point now, princess" she said, and teleported herself along with the princess. The Gerudo tribe was waiting for them, all excited to watch the race too. Producing another giant orb, Impa sat next to Zelda.

"Nervous?" she asked the princess.

"No" Zelda lied, wringing her hands in her lap. Impa smiled to herself. The riders were ready.

There was a lound bang and the riders were off. The race had started.

**A/N: **Ok guys, I'm back lol. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. As a treat, I give you more lemon :p lol! Finally the challenges are gonna start. Who will win the race? Stay tuned to find out ;) please review!


	9. Chapter 9

The crowd cheered as the men took off on their horses. Taking the lead was Lord Calatia, a smug look on his pale face. Next was Lord Leoni who was grinning from ear to ear. Link was tied in third place with Lord Daphnes. Link tried to stay calm determination etched on his hansome face. He had to prove to the King that he was worthy of his princess. Last place was Lord Anurhem who looked calm and relaxed. Lord Calatia looked back at the other lords and smirked, pulling out a small bag of Deku Nuts from his belt. He tossed them behind him and they exploded in a snap, blinding Lord Leoni's horse. It reared up and Lord Leoni struggled to stay on his stallion, but Link pushed past him, then Lords Daphnes and Anurhem. Link heard Leoni swear but one quick glance behind him showed him that Leoni was not to be left behind.

"Sorry, my Lords, but there are no set rules in this race!" Calatia yelled back at them, his face full of glee. The path infront of them was full of fences that they had to jump over. Link grinned. He was used to this. He spurred Epona on and she responded beautifully, leaving behind Lords Daphnes, Anurhem and Leoni. He was quickly gaining on Calatia. He wished he could kick that man's face in, but he couldn't. At least not while he was riding his horse... or could he? He had to time it just right. The other men were right behind him. Steering Epona towards the youngest Lord, Link bumped her against Calatia's horse.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Calatia snarled, trying to move away from Link's path.

"No rules, right?" Link said, and with a grin, he kicked the lord off his horse. Calatia managed to cling to the saddle, but as he struggled to mount his stallion again, he was quickly left behind. Now he had to worry about the other three lords. Link steered Epona to block the path of Lord Daphnes.

"Get out of the fucking way, peasant" Daphnes hissed, trying to steer his mare away from Link, but kept getting blocked. Link focused on the path ahead. They were already halfway there. He had to keep going.

"More than a race, it looks like a match of egos, no?" Impa asked the princess. Zelda had her eyes fixed on the orb, watching the men race.

"I think this whole ball is just a way for the men to determine who has the biggest ego, nothing more. The winner takes the prize..." Zelda said somewhat bitterly. She bit her lip nervously. Link was taking the lead now, but Daphnes, Anurhem and Leoni were so close to him. She thought her heart might explode with anxiety.

"So long, chump!" Leoni called out to Daphnes. He had produced some sort of smoke bomb and thrown it at Daphnes, who had been completely enveloped in thick, black, foul-smelling fog. His horse had stopped running and Daphnes had a fit of cough and retching. He was left behind. Link couldn't pay attention. He was focusing on being the first.

Lord Anurhem had a trick up his sleeve too. He turned his body slightly and threw his *boleadora at Leoni's horse, entangling its legs and making the beast fall, tossing Leoni in the air as it crashed to the ground. Now it was just him and Link. The finish line was just ahead. There was no time for tricks anymore. It was all down to the horses' speed and their masters' skills. Link leaned foward on his seat and spurred Epona foward. Anurhem did the same. They were shoulder to shoulder now. A fence was the only thing standing between them and the finish line. The crowd cheered and Zelda held her breath. Watching these two men race each other, their determination, was intense. Both horses jumped the fence graciously, and it looked like Link and Anurhem were in sync with each other. A few more meters and then... the finish line. Zelda watched the end of the race, not through the orb, but right infront of where she sat.

"Tied!" Impa bellowed amidst the, crowd's cheering. The other lords arrived moments later, looking none too happy.

Zelda stood. "Well done, my lords! This was an exciting race to watch! It seems we have a tie between two challengers. That is alright, for there are still two more challenges to be completed before the ball" she said. "Please, my lords, rest now after this challenge. Eat and drink to your heart's content, for we celebrate the beginning of the challenges and the victory of my Lords, Anurhem and Link".

Link and Anurhem looked at each other and then shook their hands. Neither of them said a word. Servants had come foward to take the horses to rest and feed. All Link wanted to do now was take a bath, eat his food and take Zelda straight to bed. Of course, he couldn't do that so instead, he washed his face, his hands and went to fill his plate with food. He searched for Zelda but she was accompanied by Impa and a few of the royal ladies. They were laughing and eating. One of the many things he loved about Zelda was that she was always so natural. It didn't matter that she was a princess, she loved being just like her people. None of that prim and proper bullshit that he associated with royalty.

"Stop staring like that, fairy boy" a woman said behind him. It was Aveil.

"I'm not staring" Link said, taking a bite of his roasted chicken leg. Anything to not talk to Aveil. After he had escaped her room the night before, he thought it best to avoid her.

"You left me cold and abandoned last night" she said, pouting her pretty mouth.

"I'm sorry Avvy, I just can't do that to a respectable young lady as yourself" he said.

"Do what?" she asked with a mischevious smile. Link stuffed his mouth with bread. Thankfully, he was saved by Darunia.

"Brother! Spectacular skills you have on horseback!" the big rock man said. Together, the Goron and his son took Link away, leaving a disappointed Aveil behind.

"Don't go causing trouble for Link" Nabooru said next to her.

"What? I'm not" Aveil said.

"Good. Because it is plain to see that that man is in love with Princess Zelda. You'd do well to remember that" Nabooru said, and walked off towards the crowd. Aveil huffed and stormed away.

Zelda scanned the crowd and found Link talking to the Gorons. She smiled and looked away. She hoped with all her heart that he would win each challenge. Just then she felt someone watching her. She looked around but saw nothing or any one suspcious. Then she met Lord Daphnes' eyes. He raised his eyebrows and grinned. Something about his smile made her skin crawl. Frowning, she shook her head. He was Lord Daphnes. She knew him. She had assisted his sister's wedding. He was kind and gentle. So why was she suddenly feeling uneasy?

**A/N: **Hi guys! Sorry for my abscence, but I was rather busy with family and the like. I hope everyone had a fun New Years Eve and that this year brings you all blessings and good vibes :). So here we are, the first challenge is over! Who will win the next one? Why is Zelda uneasy? By the way, Boleadora is a weapon made of a rope with weights attached that is thrown... you know, in case people were confused as to what that meant lol. Please comment and review :)


	10. Chapter 10

The next few days passed by without incident. Zelda was tired of being a host to this tidious ball. She would much rather be alone, or more specifically, with Link. But they hadn't been alone together since the night he had snuck in. What was more, after the first race, the Lords had become more competitive and no longer as friendly with each other, and would never leave her alone for long. Had it not been that the Ladies were always with her too, she knew her being accompanied by all these men would look most indicent. To be fair though, not all of the men had turned into lap dogs. Curiously, Link and Anurhem weren't all over her. As a matter of fact, Zelda thought bitterly, Aveil seemed to be clinging to Link all day, every day. She was jealous, but didnt show it. Right now she cherished this time she had stolen away from the crowd. She took a deep breath and looked out at the gardens. So beautiful. It seemed like it was carpeted by flowers of all colors. This was her private retreat in times of stress. Where she could relax and just think and be alone.

"What a beautiful sight" someone said behind her. She wheeled around, alarmed.

"Lord Calatia..." Zelda said nervously. He was looking at her with lust in his eyes. But rather than feeling flattered or desired, she felt dirty and uncomfortable. She hugged herself.

"I wasn't talking about the gardens, though they do have certain beauty" he said, coming closer. Zelda refused to be intimidated.

"Is that a compliment? I thank you, m'lord" she smiled. "However, I'm afraid I will be missed, so I must return now" she said. She took a few steps foward, but Calatia didn't move.

"Your father is entertaining the guests. They won't miss you for some time yet" he said. That was precisely what Zelda was afraid of. This man could not harm her. He couldn't touch her if she didn't want him to, but the scandal was what she wanted to avoid.

"But what poor hostess I would be if I let my father do all of the work?" she said more firmly. Calatia grabbed her arm and pulled her close against his thin body.

"Lord Calatia, you will release me this instant" Zelda said firmly.

"Oh please. You and I both know you want this" he sneered.

"Quite the opposite. If you do not release me, I will have to hurt you" she said, trying to break free of his grip.

"You? Hurt me? You're just a silly girl starved for male attention. Why else would you hold this ball?" Calatia snarled. He grabbed her face and pulled her close with the intent of shoving his horrid tongue into her mouth. She reacted instinctively. Using her Sheikah training, she dug her hand hard below his rib cage. He howled in pain and released her, but then was lifted off his feet by someone else. He was thrown away from her.

"You will apologize to the princess" Anurhem said coldly. Zelda felt dizzy with relief when she saw Link and Anurhem had come to her rescue.

"Apologize to her?" Calatia scoffed, holding the side where Zelda had dug her hand as struggled to stand up. "She's a woman who just loves the attention of anything with a dic—" but he wasn't able to finish his insult. Link had kicked the young Lord between the legs, making him double over in pain.

"You will announce tonight that you are indisposed. You will also announce that you will no longer participate in the challenges. You will leave by morning" Link said.

Zelda knew him well enough to know that he was livid. His voice was calm and quiet, but she knew. At that moment Lord Anurhem turned to her.

"Are you hurt, your grace?" he asked with genuine concern. She shook her head. "Good. Allow me to escort you back to the castle".

Zelda allowed herself to bed led to the castle by Lord Anurhem, but she turned to look at Link. He was holding Calatia by the lapels of his coat, but she couldn't hear what was being said.

"And if you ever go near her, or even look at her again, I will make sure that everyone across this land knows what a scumbag you are, and I will beat you within an inch of you pathetic life" Link snarled. He wanted to run to Zelda and be sure that she was safe, but he knew she would be alright. She had assited him in dealing with Ganondoef and the darkness he had spread. In some cases she had even saved_ him_. So instead of going after the princess, he made sure that the young Lord went immediately to his and his family's chambers, and told the guards to keep an eye on him. During dinner, Calatia announced his withdrawl from the challenges to a surprised audience. Nobody understood the turn of events, nor the reason why Calaria had decided to quit. Zelda, Anurhem and Link didn't say a word. Link was pleased, however, when Calatia announced that he and his family were to return home that very evening, instead of waiting till morning.

After dinner, Zelda hurried to her room. The hallway was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the stone walls. Suddenly Zelda felt inexplicable fear. She stopped in her tracks and listened. Only silence. The two guards standing at either end of the hallway came to stand beside her in an effort to protect her, but she knew they were even more afraid than she was, which meant they could feel it too.

"P-princess... stay close to us... w-we will protect you" one of them said. She felt bad for him. She knew if anyone would be protecting anyone, it would be her protecting them. This thought made her want to burst out laughing.

"S-s-something moved over there!" the other guard said. Without thinking, Zelda summoned her bow and light arrows.

"It is I, Impa of the Sheikah people, caretaker of Princess Zelda of Hyrule" a familiar voice said. The princess noticed that the Sheikah had her own sword drawn. "It seems like I am not alone in feeling this negative presence in the castle" the Sheikah added.

"Impa, whays going on? The guests, and my father—" the princess began, but her nanny raised a hand.

"Link is checking up on all the guests as we speak. Your father is with two of my best Sheikah guards, you know them; Sektus and Rama. Plus the royal guard is there too. The King is safe" Impa said.

"Sir Impa... w-what's going on here?" one of the guards asked. He was shaking from head to toe.

"Something is here. Something that most definitely shouldn't be here. You two will go and make sure that Princess Zelda's room is safe. Turn on all the sconces. If anything out of the ordinary is found, you let me or Link know, is that clear?" Impa ordered. The two guards nodded and went ahead to Zelda's chamber.

"Impa, you don't think it could be... Ganondorf, do you?" the princess asked quietly. Merely thinking about the return of the King of Darkness made her knees weak. Impa shook her head.

"No. This aura is malicious, yes. But it is not powerful or evil enough to belong to the Gerudo King" Impa said, " and besides, if Ganondorf was back, we and the other sages would have felt the seal break before anyone. No, Ganondorf remains safely sealed away. I contacted Rauru and he said everything is normal and the seal is strong and intact. Something or someone else is causing this". This made Zelda feel better. There were foot steps coming up from the stone stairway and Link burst into the hallway where Zelda and Impa stood.

"Zelda, you're alright" he panted, walking over to the two ladies.

"Link! Yes, yes I'm fine... how is everyone?" Zelda asked, running to him.

"Everyone is fine. Scared, but otherwise fine. I've just been to see your father, and he's ok too. Nabooru, Darunia, Ruto, and the Lords have agreed to help search the castle. Princess, please follow me. I will be taking you to your father now" Link said, taking her hand.

"What? No! I want to help too! This is my castle, my guests... I have to help!" Zelda said.

"No. You will follow Link and stay with your father, princess. If anyone is in danger, it is probably the royal family" Impa said.

"But there are other royal families here too!" Zelda insisted.

"Yes, and they are being looked after by the Sheikah and the royal guard too. Now lets go" Link said, and pulled Zelda along with him. They heard Impa use a Deku seed to disappear.

"Link... I'm scared" Zelda admitted as she hurried along beside him. He turned and gave her one of his most charming smiles.

"Don't be afraid, princess. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you" he said, and kissed her hand.

**A/N: **Alright guys, I know I took forever to upload chapter 10 and I'm sorry for that. Things have been a little hectic around here lately. But anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. It seems things are getting a little weird around Hyrule castle... please comment and review, let me know your thoughts... see you soon!


	11. Chapter 11

Link gave Zelda's hand a small squeeze to reassure her. She looked at him but said nothing, and then the King wrapped his arm around the princess's shoulder and led her away.

"Found anything?" Sektus asked. Link shook his head.

"Keep them safe" he said to the two Sheikah and took off down the corridor.

He quickly made his way out to the court yard and bumped into Princess Ruto.

"Link! I've just been around the moat and the river... there's nothing there" she said.

"Thank you, princess. Have you talked to the others?" he asked.

"I saw Darunia not too long ago, he didn't see anything either" the zora said. "I just don't get it... who can it be? And for what purpose?"

Link hit his forhead with his palm. But of course! Why hadn't he thought about it before? Wasn't it a coincidence that this aura appeared just as Calatia had left the castle? It had to be that little shit!

"I think I know" Link said, and took off for the stables. The Zora Princess was left standing there in bewielderment.

As soon as he located Epona, he climbed on her and set out to look for that scrawny little lord. If he remembered correctly, Calatia's castle was in Lake Hylia's direction. He had never travelled outside of Hyrule, but it had been only a few hours since Calatia had left, surely he would find him on the road still? But just as Epona was gathering speed, the mysterious aura disappeared. Link stopped Epona and stood there for a moment, to see if he could sense or feel anything odd. Nothing. Finally, he turned Epona around and headed back to the castle. What the hell was going on?

Zelda peered outside her father's window. Just as suddenly as the aura had appeared, it had vanished. She shook her head. It made no sense.

"Your grace, it seems everything is back to normal" Rama said in his deep voice.

"So it seems" Zelda replied quietly. She was still worried. What if it came back? There was a knock on the door and then Impa entered.

"It has passed. Whatever it was is gone, your highness. However, I suggest that all royal guards and my people remain outside each guests's chamber as a precaution" the shiekah said. The king nodded.

"Let us go to my chambers then, Impa" Zelda said, hurrying out into the hallway. What she really wanted was to see Link.

"I will be the one to keep watch over you" Impa said as though she had read the princess's mind. Zelda looked at her with wide, innocent eyes."Don't look at me like that... I know you were thinking of Link" Impa added.

"Nonsense" Zelda said, but tried to keep a straight face. They walked in silence the rest of the way, and Zelda kept looking for Link. Impa made sure the princess's room was empty before bidding her good night. But Zelda didn't sleep. She paced the room, worrying about her hero of time. She heard voices outside her room and pressed her ear to the door. It was Impa and, bless the goddesses, Link.

"... without a trace. I don't know who or what it could have been" Impa was telling her hero.

"I don't know either. I'm gonna stay here and keep watch over Zelda too, though" Link said. She half expected Impa to refuse and send him away, but was surprised when the austere shiekah agreed. Still, knowing Link was ok, and with that creepy aura gone, she could try and get some rest. It had been a terribly long day. So many things had happened and she hadn't realized how wore out she really was. She should make sure her guests were alright. She should speak to them and reassure them but her bed was so warm and comfortable... before she knew it, she fell asleep.

The next morning at breakfast, the atmosphere was tense. The guests were worried and scared. They wanted answers. Answers Zelda didn't know herself. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. She could hear their murmurs, their worry.

"My Lords and Ladies," she began and the room quieted down, "last night there was a disturbance in our castle. I can assure you, however, that—" but she was interrupted.

"Are we safe?" a Lady asked. She sounded annoyed. Zelda scanned the room to see who it was but couldn't locate her.

"Yes. We would never let anything happen to our guests, in our castle" Zelda said calmly.

"Well I don't feel safe. I think the last two challenges should be held today" the lady said rudely. Finally Zelda did find her. She was a member of Lady Athina's court. Lady Athina looked mortified and was quietly scolding the rude woman. But the princess was not upset. In fact, she thought that was a wonderful idea. The sooner the challenges were over, the sooner everyone would leave. But with that thought, came another more serious one. Who would win? There were still four men left to compete. Could she really marry the winner, even if the winner was not Link? Her heart sank. She would have to. She was a princess. Stupidly, she had given her word. And she never went back on her word. Besides, how embarrasing it would be to have brought all these people together for nothing... no. She had to marry the winner. Even if the winner was not Link.

"Well, I agree with Madam Lorin. I don't see why we should wait for the next two challenges. I propose we ready ourselves for the challenges this very morning" Lord Leoni said, though unlike Madam Lorin, he wasn't rude. He sounded quite happy. There was general agreement between the guests. Zelda sighed.

"Very well. The challenges will take place this afternoon. It will be archery, followed by a duel between the winners" she said.

After that very tense breakfast, she had left instructions to her servants as to how the archery range should be set up. Thankfully, the Gerudo's Master of Horseback Archery had agreed to help. Zelda was making her way to the grand hall to entertain her guests as the archery range was being set up, when several things happened at once. She was engulfed in darkness and silence. Someone came up from behind her and held her arms in such a way that she couldn't struggle without hurting herself. She couldn't scream. Not because she was unable to, but because no noise came out when she tried.

"Ah... sweet, beautiful princess... it is almost time to claim my prize" the person said behind her. It was a deep, scratchy voice. It sent a tingle of fear down her spine. His face, though she could not see him, was next to hers... his breath fanning her cheek. He licked her ear and she cringed, trying to pull away.

"What? Do you not like that? But you do. I know it. I saw you and your lover boy that night. You were quite the whore. I don't know if I want to take a whore for a wife... but, ultimately, you are not the prize I seek. You are but... an extra benifit. If I rule Hyrule, I can rule the world. And I will have a nice whore to keep me company" he said, and his hand snaked up to squeeze her right breast. Tears leaked from Zelda's eyes. She felt dirty and humiliated. More so than she had felt with Calatia, when he had tried to force himself on her. No, this was more humiliating because she could not defend herself. Humiliating because she knew this man spoke the truth. That shadow she had seen that day... it hadn't been her imagination. This man had seen her and Link... she squeezed her eyes shut. How embarrasing. How cruel. What was more, the aura the day before... she would bet anything it had been him too. She fought to break free but almost dislocated her shoulder.

"My bride. We will meet again real soon" he said, and kissed her cheek. Then he was gone. The light and sound returned. It was as though nothing had happened. She coughed and gasped for air. The corridor was empty. The guests were in the grand hall, their laughter and chatter coming from the slightly opened doors... nobody had felt anything. Nobody had noticed. She was terrified, and in her fear, she made a mistake. She didn't tell anyone.

**A/N: **Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, tell me your thoughts! I'll try to upload chapter 12 by Sunday :) see you soon!


	12. Chapter 12

As Zelda entered the great hall, Link noticed that his princess looked pale. He studied her face, but she was careful not to look at him. But he knew her well enough to know something was not right. He stared at her, willing her to look at him, but she did not. Damn her! He also knew she was proud and would never let anyone know if something _was_ wrong. He watched her take her place next to her father and whisper something in his ear, and Link felt that the smile she gave the king was forced. He was forced to look away, however, when Aveil sat next to him. Damn this red-headed woman. Granted, he had chosen her for her beauty in his silly plan to make Zelda hate him, but now that he had abandoned that plan entirely, he didn't know how to escape from the Gerudo thief. He hadn't thought that his mildly flirtatious comments would have her hooked on him. He sighed inwardly. He did not want to hurt her, so he decided that it was best to explain to her that he was in love with the Princess of Hyrule. He would speak to her tonight and clear things up.

"I've just been to where the Gerudo Master is setting up the range. It doesn't look like the best conditions to do the challenges, though" Aveil said. Link noticed her clothes were wet. "The sky has turned black with rain clouds and there's a light breeze," she continued, "I just hope the wind doesn't pick up."

So the conditions weren't too great. Link didn't care. He had passed many challenges and trials during his battles on the road to vanquish Ganondorf... a little rain and wind was nothing. He did, however, hope that these conditions would affect the other men. Anurhem in particular. Link hadn't forgotten that the man had tied with him on the first challenge. And he had been to rescue Zelda on the day that that Calatia swine had tried to force himself on her. It was obvious to Link this man was very interested in _his_ princess. He could not let that happen. He would not.

Zelda tried hard to concentrate on what her guests were chattering about. It was impossible, especially when she could feel Link's eyes boring into her. She fought hard to control her shaking. She was thankful that at least the guests seemed to have forgotten last night's incident and were excited about the challenges. One thing was certain; the shadow man was going to make his move. Possibly by tonight. Maybe sooner. In all honesty she did not fear for herself. She feared for the well being of her guests... her father. She knew she shouldn't be afraid. Surely the strength and power of the sages could stop this man, no? And besides, Link was here too. Thinking of her Hero of Time made her feel safer. Yes, she had nothing to fear. It would be alright. A servant approached her and made Zelda want to draw her sword but she shook her head. She was being paranoid. The servant leaned close to her and let her know that the archery range was set up and ready. Zelda thanked the young girl and let her guests know that the second challenge was ready to begin.

"Looking foward to beating you all" Leoni said with a grin as he walked by Link and the other Lords. Zelda stared at him. Could he be the one? Was he the shadow man? She shook her head again and took a deep breath. She would not lose her head. She had to keep calm so she could keep her eyes open... to keep watch. She followed everyone outside and felt nervous. It was noon, yet the sun was covered by big, grey clouds. The breeze carried the smell of wet earth with it. She remembered a similar day, when she was about nine or ten years old... riding her white mare with Impa, desperately trying to get away from the King of Darkness. There had been thunder and lightning that day. She was glad there was none of that today. Not yet at least.

"Will these conditions affect the challenge?" the King asked her.

"I don't think so, papa. I hope not" she said, scanning the area. Everyone was taking their seats, wanting to get a clear view of the challengers. The Lords were getting ready too. Some were stretching their arms, others testing their bows. It took only ten minutes for everyone to ge settled and ready for the archery contest. Zelda was impatient. She wrung her hands in her lap and kept scanning the area. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Finallly the Gerudo Master of Archery stepped foward and the crowed quietted down.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Princess Zelda asked me to handle this challenge and so I have. There are still four competitors left, so this challenge will have two parts. First part will determine how skilled an archer is while shooting the bullseye from a distance of eighty-nine meters" the Archery Master said happily. "You arrow _must_ get a _minimum_ of eight points to proceed to the next part of the challenge. Archers, please take your places now".

Link almost cheered. This would be easy. He had already gained respect from taking the Master's archery challenges years before, so this would be a piece of cake. He jogged to the designated place and pulled out his bow. Soon after, the other men were on either side of him, in their respective places. The wind had picked up a tiny bit, but Link knew it wouldn't be a problem. He was anxious to get this over with. Watching Zelda act so nervous was making _him _nervous.

"Archers, ready your bows! At the whistle, you will shoot... good luck" said the Master. Link readied his bow and was glad to see he was steady, despite the nervous feeling in his gut. He watched the others draw their bows from the corner of his eyes. He focused on his target, concentrating on the bullseye. Then the whistle sounded and he released his arrow. He watched as it sped through the air and landed on his mark. The crowed was cheering and he looked around at the other men, then at the targets. He grinned. The Master of Archery inspected the bullseyes for a moment and then straightened up. Motioning to the crowd to quiet down again, she addressed the King and Princess.

"Your grace, the scores are as follows" she said as she turned to the crowd once more. "Lord Daphnes... eight points. Lord Anurhem... ten points. Lord Leoni... six points. Sir Link... ten points". Link heard Leoni groan in disappointment. "I am sorry, Lord Leoni, but you will not continue to the second part of this challenge. You may take your seat with the other guests" the Gerudo said quietly to the blond lord. He was grumbling as he left the archery range.

"The next phase of this challenge is more difficult. The archers will be on horseback... and the targets will be in motion too. Fifteen mobile targets. Minimum points to proceed to the last challenge is one hundred and forty. Each challenger will have a bundle of colored arrows to better help us distinguish who scored how many points" the Master explained, and Aveil approached the three of them, handing them each a bundle of arrows. Link's color was yellow. Looking around showed him that Daphnes was red and Anurhem was blue. Aveil winked at him as she left the range to sit with Nabooru. Well, this was going to be more difficult, but Link wasn't too worried. He had faced worse before, right?

**A/N: **Hi guys! First off, I want to apologize for the week-long delay of this chapter. I mentioned to you guys before that I do not own a pc at the moment and that all writing is being done on my android phone. Well, last Friday I began writing this chapter and saved it, I was sure I would be done by Sunday like I had promised, only to find that the application I used had undergone a bad update which caused the app to force close every few minutes, and refused to open any saved documents! I lost my chapter :(. So, I had to download another word processor and rewrite the whole thing, but what with work and helping around the house, I didn't have much time. Also, sorry for all the typos... I'm sorry. Anyway, it's finally here and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Finally we will see who will make it to the last challenge and maybe find out who that shadow man is! Stay tuned for the next chapter, coming soon! xoxo p.s. Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Hello guys! I am soooo sorry for taking forever to uplad this chapter! Life has been very demanding lately, what with my dad being in the hospital and then remodeling my house and trying to sign up for college this summer... it's just been super busy for me. But, here I am! Hope the wait was worth it lol. xoxo

Zelda watched nervously as the men mounted their horses and readied themselves for the second part of the archery challenge. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the wind whipped her hair across her face. She watched Link and knew even in these conditions he would be alright. She was vaguely aware of the moving targets; the forboding feeling in her stomach was becoming more intense.

"Are you alright, daughter of mine?" the King asked, leaning over his arm rest towards her. Looking at her father, she forced a smile and nodded.

"Just a little nervous about the challenges, that is all, papa" she lied. The whistle sounded in the background and the challenge began. The men looked incredible in the way they handled their horses while they shot arrows at the moving targets, but she noticed Lord Daphnes was having difficulty. Link and Anurhem were not.

The match lasted only a minute or two, Zelda wasn't sure, she had lost track of time. The clouds above were becoming darker. Too dark to be normal. Even the King noticed it was odd.

"What in the heavens is going on here?" he bellowed over the wind which was now howling and threatning to blow over the canopy which they sat under. Zelda scanned the area, panic filling her chest, but nobody seemed to notice anything odd yet. The Master was running over towards them.

"Your grace," she panted, "the match ended in a draw between Lord Anurhem and Link. Lord Daphnes is out of the—" but the Archery Master never finished her sentence. There was a shriek from the crowd and suddenly the place fell completely silent. It was as though someone had turned off the sound. The King had risen to his feet, and the princess could see he was bellowing something, his face red with anger, but she could not hear him. The crowd was running, scattering like ants in all directions. They were terrified of something she could not yet see. All she could think about was Link. She had lost sight of him and she prayed to the goddesses to keep him safe. Suddenly Impa was gripping her hand tightly, shouting words she could not hear. Impa was holding on to the King too and Zelda knew what the sheikah was going to do, but she yanked her arm free. She was not leaving without Link.

Link searched frantically for his princess. He hoped Impa had enough sense to get her and the King out of harms way. Anurhem was shouting something at him, but Link could not hear him. Then the lord pointed behind him and Link turned in time to see Lord Daphnes laughing. Two black and purple orbs were shining on his hands. He looked demented. Link immediately shot an arrow at him, knowing he probably wouldnt be able to hit him. He was right. The arrow desintegrated as it came in contact with what appeared to be a sort of force field. Link urged Epona back to where the crowd was and unmounted his mare. He was helping everyone get away as quickly as possible, Lord Anurhem right beside him. The silence was almost deafening, he thought wryly, and he tbought he could hear the blood rushing in his veins. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a white dress billowing in the wind. Zelda! What was she still doing here? Where was Impa? He saw the shiekah just as she disappeared with the King of Hyrule. Zelda was running to him. He ran to her too.

Zelda found Link helping the guests get away from what she now could see was Lord Daphnes. But at the same time it couldnt possibly be Lord Daphnes. He was wearing Daphnes' clothes but he just wasn't Daphnes anymore. He was like a decomposing corpse, with flesh dangling from his skull, and half of his face was covered in shadows. Shadows that seemed to _move_ under his skin like worms. Disgusted and frightened, she ran to Link. Whoever this was, he would be dealt with quickly. Link was here, along with most of the sages. Everything would be alright. But heavens above, this silence was making her more nervous by the second. She ran faster when Link started running to her. Just a few more steps... She stretched out her hands towards her Hero of Time. She could almost touch him and then the breath was of her completely. Something or someone had hit her stomach with such a force she was sent flying backwards and she feared they may have cracked one of her ribs. She landed hard on her back, but she bearly noticed. She was trying to take big gulps of air but none would come. She rolled over on her stomach and tried to calm herself. She knew that if she panicked, she would surely suffocate and she couldn't die. Not now. Not like this.


	14. Chapter 14

Link watched as Zelda was knocked back with an orb of purple-black energy. He tried to run to where she landed but he was rooted to the spot where he stood. Looking down at his feet, he saw that the same purplish, black energy had snaked around his feet and legs and was keeping him in place. Try as he might, he could not break free, and to his horror, Daphnes was making his way to Zelda who was struggling to sit upright. Then Anurhem was beside him, mouthing words Link could not hear, and suddenly his legs were free. Anurhem ran off, sword drawn, towards Daphnes. Link understood and ran to his princess. He knelt beside her and helped her sit up. As soon as the bare skin of his fingers made contact with the bare skin of her arm, it was like the sound was switched back on. Thunder clapped and the wind howled more than ever. Rumaging through his belt, he pulled out a small, crystal flask full of red liquid. He pressed it to Zelda's lips.

As soon as Link touched her, she was able to hear again. The sound came rushing to her ears: thunder, the wind and Link's voice. "Drink this, it's a healing potion" he was saying as he pressed a flask to her lips. She drank from it and it was warm and tasted sweet, like raspberries. Her insides then felt warm and that warmth spread throughout her entire body and the pain that had assaulted her ribs was gone.

"Thank you" she murmured. She was then aware that behind Link, Anurhem was engaged in a fierce battle with Daphnes. A quick glance around and she knew that the three of them were alone. Another odd thing was that Hyrule field looked different, though in what way she could not be sure. It was Hyrule field as she knew it, but also different... darker. And then she figured it out. They were indeed in Hyrule field, but it was engulfed in that wretched energy Daphnes possessed. That explained why she could hear the wind, but not feel it.

"Link, where are we?" she asked as he helped her to her feet. She had to be sure.

"Hyrule field, I think. Are you ok?" he asked her, looking into her eyes. She nodded. "Good. Then stay away, I'm going to teach this moron not to mess with Hyrule" Link said, drawing out his sword.

"I will not! I can help too!" she said angrily.

"Fine, but be careful" he replied, and turned to sprint after Anurhem and Daphnes, leaving her quite bewildered. She hadn't expected it to be this easy, but she was thankful he didn't think of her as useless, or a mere damsel in distress. She summoned her bow and light arrows. If this was dark magic, her light arrows would be a valuable asset in this battle. She looked up to the sky and she was sure they were under a dome of darkness. On instinct, she shot a light arrow upwards. It pierced the darkness and it broke like glass, dissolving before the pieces hit the ground. At once, the cold, howling wind whipped across her face and she felt the chilly rain drops on her skin. A moment later there was a howl of pain and Lord Anurhem was flung across the air like a rag doll. He landed heavily with a thud a few feet away from her. She ran to him and could hear Daphnes laughing.

"Pathetic human. He is better off dead. The roach needn't have died if he had minded his own business. But that's Anurhem for you. So brave and honorable. The idiot. Ah well, on to more important matters. I am pleased to know that it is as I had heard. You and the fool Zelda do have sacred power. I must say I am not surprised the princess of Hyrule owns a piece of the Triforce, but you, Link? You are an unworthy maggot. Alas, it's quite alright. There are two pieces here for me to take. This is most perfect" Daphnes was saying as he and Link circled each other. Poor Lord Anurhem was unconcious in her arms.

"You talk too much. What do you want?" Link snapped impatiently. Daphnes raised an eyebrow. The shadows under his skin writhed like angry worms.

"I want what you have, idiot boy. Raw power. I want to rule Hyrule... and the world. I am what this world needs. And... I want to enjoy that pretty piece of ass while I'm at it" Daphnes said, jerking his head in Zelda's direction. Link's blood boiled. He swung his sword but Daphnes blocked it.

"So you are getting between her legs? Don't be jealous, my dear boy, when I am done with her you can have her back" Daphned taunted. This time it was Daphnes who swung his blackened blade and their battle began.

Zelda watched Link battle Daphnes, but quickly returned her attention to the unconcious Lord. She pressed her hand to his chest and began to heal him. He had a nasty burn mark on his chest and left shoulder, but he was alive. He stirred feebly and slowly opened his eyes.

"Princess... I am sorry I could not be of more help" he murmured. Zelda smiled kindly and shook her head.

"What nonsense is this? You saved my life back there... who knows what he would have done to me if you hadn't engaged him in battle before he reached me" she said. Lord Anurhem looked to Link and Daphnes.

"He is a good man, your Link of Hyrule. It is no wonder why you admire him so" Anurhem said. Zelda blinked in surprise. Was she that obvious? Then Anruhem laughed but quickly succumbed to a fit of cough.

"Had the challenges not been interrupted by this fiend, I know I could have given Link an even match... but I could not dream of marrying a princess who is in love with another man. Especially a good man who loves her back" he said weakly. Zelda's eyes filled with tears.

"Lord Anurhem, you are a good man too, and you will find a lady worthy of your affections" she said to him. She helped him sit up. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked. He nodded. "Good... then I will send you to safety with the rest of the guests" she said, pulling out from her skirt pocket a small deku seed.

Anurhem winced. "As a man, that hurts my pride, being sent to saftey by a beautiful princess, but I understand I am only in the way. Ok princess... work your magic" he said, grinning. Zelda smiled again before snapping the deku seed. In a flash of blue smoke, Lord Anurhem was gone. She didn't wish to be rude, but she had to focus her attention on Link in case he needed her help. She readied her bow with a light arrow and aimed it at Daphnes but she dared not shoot. Not when the two men were moving so fast. She didn't want to accidentally shoot her Hero.

Link couldn't gain the upper hand. The man was skilled. And what was more, worrying about Zelda wasn't making things easier. He should have sent her away. But he knew his princess and he knew she would have stayed no matter what he said. He wished he still had the Master Sword. The blade of evil's bane would certainly have sped things up here. But this sword that Zelda and the six sages had blessed for him was just as good. He blocked blow after blow and countered with his own attacks, but nothing. As if Daphnes knew his every move... anticipated his next attack. It was strangely reminiscent of the time he had fought himself, or rather, his dark self, in that blasted Water Temple. Could it be that maybe...

"My shadow babies can read your mind, maggot. They tell me your every move. Your next attack, the next swing of your sword... I know it all" Daphnes laughed. "In fact, I grow bored of entertaining you. I will kill you now" he said. But Link was faster. He rolled forward and did a spin attack, effectively slashing through Daphnes' shins. The monster roared in pain and fell to his knees. But then the shadow worms left his body and shot with a force towards Link who was caught by surprise. He heard Zelda shriek in terror but he doubled over as the pain consumed him. The shadow worm things were burrowing slowly and painfully into his stomach. Already they had singed away his tunic.

"You bastard" he panted, dropping his sword. Daphnes cackled. His world became blurry... he wasn't sure if he imagined or really saw Zelda running towards him. All he knew was pain.

**A/N: **_Hello my pretties! I do apologize for taking oh so long to update this story, but life has been busy for me! I believe this little adventure is coming to it's end soon, and I promise to finish it within the next week! Please review and let me know your thoughts! _


	15. Chapter 15

Zelda panicked and ran to Link, leaving behind her bow. She didn't care right now; the shadow worms were burying themselves into Link's stomach, and she couldn't reach him fast enough.

"Where are you going, Princess?" Daphnes laughed, blocking her way.

"Move" she said. He laughed.

"Make me, princess"

Zelda had no time for this. She pulled her small fist back and then swung at the monster before her with all her strength, effectively connecting with his jaw. He merely staggered backwards a few steps, caught off guard.

"You pack a mean punch, girl" he smiled, rubbing his jaw. Zelda summoned her sword and adopted her battle stance. Dahnes laughed with glee. "You think you can fight me?" he scoffed. Behind him, Link fell to his knees, groaning in pain.

"Get out of my kingdom" Zelda said dangerously. Daphnes readied his own black sword.

"Lets dance, little princess" the man snarled.

He swung his sword down upon her, but she blocked the strike, countering with her own blow. She fought him, matching his attacks, blow by blow, strike against strike. The monster was relentless, but she refused to back down.

She didn't know how long they had been engaged in battle. All she knew was that Link was hurt, and she had to help him. But her dress made her stumble and fall to her knees, giving Daphnes the perfect opportunity to strike the sword out of her hand. It landed too far for her to reach.

"It's over Zelda. I will kill you, I will kill him... and the two pieces of the triforce will be mine" he said, glaring down at her.

"Never!" she cried, rolling away from him. She jumped to her feet and placed her arms infront of her, in the shape of a T. In a flash of bright light she was no longer Zelda, but Shiek. Without hesitation, she jumped foward and kicked the sword out of a startled Daphnes' hand. She gave him no time to think before raining blows upon him. Fists and kicks connected with every inch of his body she could reach. He fell backwards and sputtered.

"You crazy bitch! But you're imbecilic if you think your martial arts skills will save you!" he spat, standing. He turned to look at Link. Zelda's heart stopped. Over half of Link's body was now tainted by darkness; the shadow worms were inside him. They writhed ominously under his skin, and when he looked at her, his eyes were no longer the clear blue eyes she knew and loved, but deep, sunken, purple eyes. Eyes that could no longer see anything but death, she was sure of it. Link's handsome features were contorted by the shadow worms, who were spreading quickly.

"You won't fight me anymore, princess... I'm tired of you. Fight my puppet, and bow down to me, The Great Puppet Master!" Daphnes growled. With a simple hand movement, he had Link stand and run right at her.

Link was locked inside himself. He was bound to his body, but his actions were not his own. He could not see, he could not hear, he only felt pain. Pain inside the body that was being controlled by someone or something else. He felt a searing sensation all over is body and then he was no more.

"Link!" Zelda shrieked, dodging one of his punches. She did not want to fight him. Goddesses above, she didn't want to hurt him! But this wasn't Link, not really. His face was contorted, his eyes were dark orbs of evil, and he was lashing out at her. He grabbed his fallen sword and started swinging at her clumsily. She evaded his attacks with ease. No, this was not her Hero of Time. This was a puppet being controlled by Daphnes.

"I will break your darkness, my love" she whispered, tears in her eyes. She did a back flip, bearly dodging his blade, and picked up her own fallen bow. She aimed at Link.

"You would kill him?" Daphnes asked in disbelief. Zelda ignored him, concentrating on her target. She would not kill him. She would not...

She released her arrow, aiming straight for Link's heart. The light arrow pierced his chest, causing him to be thrown backwards, howling in pain. Like before, the darkness shattered, releasing Link. He gasped for breath as he struggled to his feet. Zelda ran to him.

"Link!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck.

"What did I miss?" he asked, rubbing his chest where the arrow had hit. "Did I hurt you?"

Zelda shook her head and gave his lips a quick kiss, thanking the goddess that he was alright. She hadn't realized she was shaking.

"Maggots!" Daphnes howled. Zelda and Link watched as he absorbed the shadow worms back into himself. "I will kill you both now" he said, forming two huge black orbs around his hands.

Link looked around for his sword and found it. If it was orbs this guy wanted to use, he knew just what to do. He had played this game before, with Ganondorf. Zelda placed her small hand over his. "Link," she said, "he is nothing without his darkness. Let's end this". The Triforce piece embedded into her hand began to glow and so did his. She touched his blade with her hand, and he did the same. Together, the light of the Triforce pieces seeped into his sword, making it glow. In that moment, Daphnes unleashed his fury onto them. They looked at him with pity as his attack bounced off of them, repelled by the brilliance of the Triforce and the sword, as though they were surrounded by a force-field. Link calmly stepped foward, luminous sword at the ready. It was clear that Daphnes was in a panic, as he was sending attack after attack at Link, to no avail. Once within reach, Link attacked. With every strike that connected with Daphnes, the darkness shattered like glass. Daphnes howled in pain, but Link didn't care. This man had hurt Zelda, and he would not forgive him. Daphnes was finished. Link used his spin attack once more, causing the man to fall on his back, writhing in pain. It was a pathetic sight. Link jumped high in the air and brought his sword down with all his might, stabbing straight through Daphnes' chest. The monster shattered into a million pieces and then vanished in tiny wisps of smoke. It was over. They had won. He turned to his princess and smiled weakly, staggering a little. She encircled his chest and shoulders with her arms and helped him stay on his feet.

"Did I ever tell you that wearing that skin-tight outfit makes you look even sexier?" he said, giving her a wink. Zelda laughed.

"The things you say at a time like this!" she scolded jokingly.

"Well excuuuuse me, princess" he said. He leaned down to kiss her forehead. He was immensly proud of her for fighting Daphnes on her own. His princess was no ordinary gal. "Zelda?" he said seriously, "will you marry me?"

Zelda stopped walking and stared at her hero. Despite the wind, she had heard what he had asked clearly. She smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes. Oh yes, I will marry you" she breathed, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Ow... princess... it hurts" he gasped.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" she asked as she released him.

"Yeah... I think so... but... I think that's your father coming" Link said, looking out into the distance.

**A/N: **_Hi guys! Sorry for taking forever to update this story, but I had a bit of a writer's block. I knew in my head how this battled looked, but I had a difficult time putting it in words. I hope the chapter was worth the wait, and I'll post the conclusion to this story real soon! Please review! xoxo_


	16. Chapter 16

Zelda was ready to face her father. She didn't care if he got furious. Link was the man she loved, and he loved her too. Nothing could change the way she felt. This man that had saved Hyrule and her not once but twice already, was more than good enough for her. He was kind, he was just, he was humble. And when the time came, he too would make a great king. She laced her fingers through his as they waited for her father to reach them.

"You nervous?" Link asked her, giving her hand a small squeeze. She shook her head.

"No. Are you?" she asked him. Link let out a nervous little laugh.

"I kind of am, actually" he grinned.

"Link," Zelda laughed, "you just defeated an evil man and you're nervous about my father?" It felt good to laugh again. The knot of unease in her stomach had finally dissolved and a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. She spread her arms and hugged her father.

"Zelda! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" the King of Hyrule asked as he pushed her at arms length and inspected her body for injuries.

"Papa, I'm fine... the fiend is gone. Link saved us all... again" she said.

Link shook his head. "No. We did it together" he said as he smiled down at her. His princess was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. And not only because she was physically beautiful but because she was also a kind and wise woman who ruled over her people with a sense of justice and genuine care. He drapped his arm around her slender shoulder.

"Your Grace... I wish to marry your daughter" he said to the King who stared at him, mouth agape.

"This is hardly the time or place to ask, young man" the king spluttered, scratching his chin through his white beard.

"But papa, we are not asking you. We are only letting you know. We are getting married" the princess stated. The King stared at his daughter for a few moments before finally speaking.

"Very well my dearest Zelda," he said at last, "and after all, one can suppose he _is _the winner of the challenges..." Link almost sagged with relief. He was glad the King hadn't put up much resistance this tine. Link tried to bow for the king but he hurt too much all over to really accomplish it. "You take good care of my daughter Link. Even I know she won't be in safer hands than yours" his majesty said gruffly, clapping Link's shoulder. The Hero of Time winced.

"Thank you, sir. I promise you, nobody loves Princess Zelda like I do" he said, looking at the blond girl beside him. He smiled warmly at her and she beamed at him.

"Your Grace... we have to return to the castle now and inform the guests that the danger has passed and everyone is safe" Impa said behind the trio.

"Right. Let us go then. After that, whoever wishes to remain in the castle with us can do so. We have a royal wedding to plan!" the King said enthusiastically. Impa winked at Zelda before following his highness back to the castle, leaving Zelda and Link to follow behind them.

"That went better than I thought!" the princess said happily as they started walking.

"I know... I was ready to swoop you up in my arms and run away with you if we hadn't gotten your father's blessing" Link said with a smile.

"We have much to discuss with the guests... set things right. And then plan our wedding" Zelda said. "Our wedding..." she repeated slowly, as if it was finally dawning on her the impact of her own words. "Link... we are going to be husnabd and wife!" she squealed in excitement.

"Yeah, that's what happens when two people get married" he teased her. She punched his arm playfully.

"Will you be able to put up with me princess?" he asked her. Zelda nodded.

"Yes... if you annoy me, I can always throw you in the dungeons" she answered with a grin.

"You know what? Can we just skip the wedding and go straight for tue honeymoon? Dressed like that I can think of a few things I want to do to you, miss" Link said, knowing she would blush. Sure enough, she blushed a pretty pink and shook her head.

"Link! Behave! What if my father can hear you? Don't say things like that!" she said, knowing it was impossible for the King to overhear their conversation as he was quite a few ways ahead.

"Well... excuuuuuuse me, princess!" Link said, pulling his princess close. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he bent his head low to kiss her lips.

Zelda kissed her hero. Now that the darkness was gone and her father had blessed their engagement, she could relax and enjoy her time with the man she adored. She didn't know exactly what the future would hold for them, but she knew that together, they could overcome anything...

_Epilogue_:

Link rolled his eyes at Zelda who stuck her tongue out at him. He had intended to sneak some alone time with his princess that evening, but his plans were foiled when a group of very loud, very hyper females swarmed into Zelda's chamber, talking excitedly about wedding plans and wedding invitations and wedding dresses and goddesses knew what else. The women, who at that very moment reminded Link of a flock of fussy hens, ushered him out of the Princess' room without letting him so much as say good night. Link smiled to himself, locking his hands behind his head as he made his way down the hall. It was ok. The girls could have their girl time with his Zelda today. They could plan their wedding and talk about whatever it was girls talked about during such times. What mattered to him now was that finally, after so long and many obstacles, he would have her for the rest of his life. Princess Zelda was his for keeps.

**A/N: **_Hello guys! Finally! I have completed this story! I hope the wait was worth it! First off, I want to thank everybody who took the time to read this fic, who followed and waited patiently for updates. Thank you! Amd thank you all so much for your reviews and comments. It brings me great joy to read your thoughts and opinions, and I hope everybody enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please review this final chapter and let me know what you think! This is not my final LoZ fic, in the future I intend to write more, so stay tuned! Till next time! xoxo _


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